


Paper Boats

by Darkargo



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Argo is there gonna be sex, Be patient, Boy are these two in love, Character death? But not really, If you haven't played Transistor, Link is tired, M/M, Sidon is suggestive, Then I'll let you know that this is gonna be sad, Transistor AU, Yes there will, eventually
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-01
Updated: 2017-05-16
Packaged: 2018-10-13 11:29:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10512873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darkargo/pseuds/Darkargo
Summary: “Link, whatever happens, just…promise me. Don’t let me go.”





	1. Old Friends

PROCESSING…PROCESSING. REQUESTED ITEM “TRANSISTOR” FOUND. LAST ARCHIVED USE: 9:18 P.M. . LAST RECORDED POSITION: HYRULE CAPITAL, EAST QUARTER, UNMARKED ADDRESS. LAST ARCHIVED OBJECTIVE: FAILED. CURRENT POSITION: UNKNOWN.

The hilt was thin and long, not appropriate for a sword of this size. He grasped it and began to pull the heavy blade from Sidon’s abdomen.

“Don’t hold back.” Sidon’s voice pulsed from the sword. “You can do it, just tug harder.”  
With a loud grunt, Link jerked the sword free from the body, his feet stumbling back a few steps to accommodate the sudden lack of resistance. His eyes still itched from tears.

“Link, we need to warn the Princess and my father.” The elevated swirls of pinks and violets glowed from atop the black blade.

He glanced at the maroon gem that encompassed the entire middle section of the wide, almost rectangular blade, nestled amongst the spiral designs. The alien colors of sharp pinks and deep violets twisted and writhed beneath the surface of the raised marks. This sword, along with the creature that attacked them, was of Ancient Hyrule. The etchings that covered the guardians covered both sword and aggressor, but the colors were foreign.

As if sensing his thoughts, Sidon added, “The Princess Zelda surely will know more about this. Perhaps, perhaps her knowledge might be able to fix this.”

Link wasn’t too versed on the stuff of the Ancients, but he had a sinking feeling that whatever happened to Sidon was irreversible. His very soul was trapped inside the weapon that killed him, something Link didn’t know was possible until now.

Grasping the hilt tightly, Link departed from the dark alleyway. As much as he didn’t want to leave Sidon’s body, they had more pressing matters to attend to. Whatever it was that attacked them was still out there, undoubtedly nursing its wounds that Link had given it. It would be back, and it would finish what it had set out to do. But not if Link had any say in it.

He gritted his teeth as he sharply turned the corner. Why did all these back streets have to look and smell the same? He really hated the scent of cat urine.

“Link, slow down!”  
He couldn’t, not until they were in a safe place, not until—

“Behind you!”  
Link jerked his head to see a black and pink writhing mass peel from the alley wall. His eyes narrowed as the mass slowly took form of a man, it’s arms pushing itself from the wall.

“Back so soon? ” Sidon taunted. “ I thought abominations had more forethought than this.”

The creature dropped from the wall, black ooze dripping from its fresh wounds. Instinctively, Link dropped into a fighting stance, the cold metal of the hilt biting into his hands.

“You want your weapon back? Then you’ll have to come and take it from us, _darling_.”

It snarled and lumbered forward, leaving a trail of churning black goop behind it. Once the creature was within range, Link smashed the point of the blunt sword into the ground. An eruption of pink energy surged along the pavement, striking the creature’s legs. It howled as the energy sprouted into thick vines around its legs and snaked up its body. Link struck the ground again and again, his shoulders and back burning from the stress of wielding such a heavy weapon. With each strike, the creature was increasingly encased in the constricting vines, creating a mound of seething vines. The twisting, pink mass eventually collapsed in on itself, revealing the sticky remains of their aggressor. Whatever it was, it was dead now.

“…It wanted to take you, my Champion.” Sidon murmured as they resumed their trek toward the castle. “It failed to realize that I will not relinquish you so easily. As long as I exist, I will prevent any of that foul creature’s kin to lay their hands on you.”

Link paused briefly to lift the sword up into his arms, pressing his brow against the massive stone in its blade.

“Really, Link, I am quite fine. You mustn’t worry about me.” His voice dropped to a low hum. “Truly, my Champion, I am alright. As long as you are safe, I am content.” Sidon added cheekily. “Though I must admit, I do like how you are holding me. You can finally sweep me off my feet, like in all those stories of old.”

Link snorted against the gem. Despite the cool façade Sidon was presenting, Link knew the Zora Prince was troubled. He had spent enough time with Sidon to know when he was masking some fear. His lover’s voice always gave it away. Link didn’t dare press for questions. They both were too fragile to handle the grief bundled tightly within their hearts. Some other time, when they had the luxury of safety and solitude.

“…Mm,” Sidon pulsed lazily. “We should go before I get too drunk off this sensation.”

He nuzzled the gem one last time before putting the sword back down. Link lifted his gaze to the skies. He should be able to see the spirals of the castle from here. He huffed, there were too many houses blocking his view. He needed to find a more open road.

“How about we take the northern road? The Castle is in the north.”

Link trotted down the twisting path, which resulted in bringing them back to the place they were last.

Sidon huffed, “…Must Hylians make such confusing roads? I thought for sure…oh never mind. Let’s try the western path, that might bring us out to the center.” Link could hear Sidon a grumble a few choice words. He didn’t realize the Prince had quite the foul mouth.

They arrived at the center after much confusion and consternation. Sidon was muttering something about how he would never make roads as confusing as this, when it dawned on the both of them on how empty the central plaza was. There were no people, and it was especially odd since there was the festival of the summer solstice going on. That was part of the reason why the two of them took to the back alleys—among other things—since it was too loud to hear one’s self think at times.

Something wasn’t adding up. Even if the main course of the festival was over, there still would be people drunkenly singing in the streets or loitering in knots around entryways.

“Link…the moon.”

He gazed up to the rising moon and found the color an unsettling shade of red. The light from the moon burned into his eyes and he quickly averted his gaze.

“…Do you think it has something to do with the creature that attacked us?”  
Undoubtedly. Link nodded his head and pressed forward. The castle was in sight now, practically an outline against the bleeding moon. His pace quickened as shrill screams ripped through the thick air. He hoped he wasn’t too late.

* * *

  
“Link! Where have you been?” Zelda scampered down the stairs, her skirts rustling noisily. “Oh, it’s a nightmare, Link! Have you seen the moon? It’s not natural, and from what I’ve studied, it is one of the precursors to Ganon’s arrival.” Her gloved hands were balled up into fists. “On top of that, we have been receiving reports of strange creatures attacking citizens in the streets. We have managed to get people indoors, but I feel that these things…” She trailed off when her gaze fell upon the sword at his side.

“Link, where did you find that?” Her eyes darted around him. “…And where is Sidon? I thought you two left for the festival.”

His breath hitched and he averted his gaze. Hesitantly, he gestured for something to write on.

“…But surely you can just tell…me.” Her brow knotted in anguish. “…Did—did something happen?” She gathered her skirts. “…Let’s go to the library.”

He normally wouldn’t have minded keeping up with Zelda’s rabbit steps, but the strain of having to haul such a heavy weapon was really starting to eat at him.

“…You’ll be able to rest soon, Link.” Sidon spoke up. “Not much farther, you can keep going.” Goddesses, nothing escaped Sidon. Link gave the sword a small smile as he trudged on. He really hoped Sidon wasn’t blaming himself for this. Who was he kidding, of course he was.

Upon entering the library, Zelda charged over to the windows and yanked the curtains closed. Link could hear snatches of her voice as he plopped down on one of the wine red couches. He was surprised how winded he was. The sword was heavy, but he felt horribly out of shape. He bet that moon had something to do with it.

“…Here you are, Link.” Zelda sat beside him, her skirts puffing out around her as she did. She unfolded her hands, revealing a pad of parchment. “There’s an inkwell and quill on the table next to you.” She nodded, “Take your time.”

He was reluctant of letting go of Sidon. Despite the pain of having to haul such a heavy sword around, it felt…strange letting it go. The sword felt like it was a part of him, and not having its hilt in his hands made him feel anxious. He leaned the sword toward Zelda, who gently clasped her hands around the hilt.

As he began to scribble on the parchment, Zelda said softly, “You know, this sword reminds me of something I read in the ancient texts.” She ran her hand down the swirling marks. “…Something about creation…and a canvas. This sword,” She lifted it for emphasis. “…was always used with the symbol for painting. …Doesn’t make much sense, now that I think about it. I suppose a lot of things about the past don’t make sense to us now.” Zelda sighed wistfully.

They were silent until Link finished his explanation of what had transpired. He eagerly exchanged the parchment for the sword, gently resting the blade on his lap. He traced the designs while Zelda read. Link had looked at her at one point to see her hand covering her mouth. So he and Sidon weren’t the only ones who thought the events of tonight were bizarre and impossible.

The letter crunched in Zelda’s hands, “So…Prince Sidon is in the sword?”

“It is the truth, Princess.” Sidon admitted sadly. Zelda jumped a bit at his sudden words, her eyes widening in shock.

“But—but how? That—how is it possible?”

Link shrugged glumly.

She stood up, letter crumpled in one of her hands. “…I must tell father right away. Prince Sidon, we will have your body recovered promptly.” She said sagely. “I will write a personal letter to your father, detailing the events of tonight. I will be as clear as possible that you are still alive, but that your soul as merely changed vessels.”

“We would be happy to take the letter to my father,” The sword flickered. “…It will be better if he sees what I’ve…become.” There was a twang of sadness in Sidon’s words. “…But I do not regret it, for my sacrifice was essential.”

The Princess’s face was unreadable, but Link knew she agreed with Sidon. Of course stating that fact would sound…callous, which was something neither a Prince or Princess should say. That, and well, it’s awful to say that you are glad someone died for the sake of protecting someone else.

“I implore that you rest here tonight.” Zelda beckoned Link to follow. “I know you are known for your boundless stamina, Link, but I think it wise that you stay in tonight.” She added grimly, “We have no idea what lies beyond the castle walls as of now.”

Link was inclined to agree. He bowed to Zelda before she hurried away to her father’s study. An old habit reminded him to tell her not to stay up too late, but he quelled it quickly. It wasn’t any good if he couldn’t speak.

Returning to his room was a task in it of itself, seeing that he had to climb the longest staircase to get there. Well, it at least felt like the longest staircase. He was tempted to collapse in his bed when he entered his room, except he hated sleeping when his skin felt all crawly. So he dragged himself and Sidon into his bathroom and tiredly messed around with the bathtub faucets.

As the tub began to fill with clear, steaming water, Link dragged a stool over to the tub and perched on it. He laid the sword across his lap before plucking a sponge off the side of the tub.

“Oh? Are you going to sponge me down?” Sidon teased. “How scandalous, the Knight of Princess Zelda giving the Zora Prince a _delicious_ scrub down~” He purred under Link’s touch. “What will the people say?”

Link rolled his eyes. It was as if nothing had changed. Sidon was still acting like he had his real body, still behaving like nothing had happened earlier that night. It was comforting, somewhat, pretending that the loss of his body hadn’t changed anything. They both knew it did. Everything changed the moment Sidon took a blow for Link, and yet, here they were, making inappropriate jokes about Link washing Sidon.

Link didn’t know how to express to Sidon that he didn’t have to put up a front. But even if he could, would Sidon actually confess that it was hurting him? Probably not, seeing Sidon’s ever cheerful personality and enthusiasm were louder than any of his inner thoughts.

“…I wish I could touch you.” Sidon’s sudden comment brought fire to Link’s cheeks. He turned his head, nearly choking on his own spit. Link cleared his throat and quirked his brow at Sidon.  
A little huff could be heard from the sword, “As much as I truly enjoy you carrying me and such, I would much rather it be the other way around. Besides, you always look so beautiful when you _flush_.” Sidon murmured breathily.

His cheeks stung with heat as he rolled his eyes again. He did not need to get riled up by a _sword_ , even if his lover was trapped inside of it.

He was done sponging Sidon down by the tub was full. Link leaned the sword against the tub and tossed a towel over it. There was a muffled squawk of confusion from Sidon, and Link merely chuckled as he stripped down.

“…You act as if I’ve never seen you naked before.” Sidon pouted.

…That was true, but Link still didn’t like being ogled when he got into the tub. Sidon could make all the suggestive jokes he wanted, but Link saw nothing sexy when it came to bathing. Because removing dried blood and monster guts off his body was such a “provocative” sight. He did rest his hand on the hilt of the sword while he was in the tub, nonsensically rubbing the cool metal.

“At least…we are still together. If something had happened to you, Link, I might have…”

Link hummed, stroking a maroon gem on the pommel of the sword.

The sword pulsed with each word, “…I know I say it often, but you truly are amazing, Link. If it had been me instead of you wielding the sword, I don’t think…I don’t think I would be stable.”

Link slipped further into the tub and closed his eyes. He didn’t want to think about their roles reversed. Link would have been alright in the sword, probably act like how Sidon was now. But Sidon, he would have rampaged. Unbridled, raw fury that would consume and break him, and there was nothing Link could have done to stop him.

“You are so strong, so, so strong, mentally and physically.”

Sidon fell silent after that, most likely contemplating if their roles had been different. Link scrubbed his skin, feeling the grit and grime peel off of him. After rinsing, he took the towel off the sword, wrapping it around himself as he stepped out. His lover was still quiet after they left the bathroom and even when Link tossed him onto the bed. He made no teasing comments when Link dropped the towel to put on his night clothes, nor when he crawled into bed next to him.

Link pulled a pillow under the point of the sword and gently reached out to stroke the gem in the center. The room was illuminated by the soft glow of the sword. Link marveled at the warm pink color, tracing each curving spiral with his finger.

“Link,” The glow brightened at his name. “Whatever happens, just…promise me. Don’t let me go.”

He rested his hand over the dark gem. _I promise._


	2. Vanishing Point

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all like art? Look at this art: http://quinncy.tumblr.com/post/159230280661
> 
> Fetusconfetti, you are wonderful.

ACCESS GRANTED…UPLOADING DATA BASE…PLEASE MAKE A SELECTION…PROCESSING…PROCESSING…THE SUBJECT“SIDON” HAS BEEN FOUND. PLEASE MAKE A SELECTION…MEMORY LIBRARY ACCESSED. PLEASE SELECT A FILE…YOU CHOSE FILE: XXXXXX…NOW DOWNLOADING MEMORY SEQUENCE…BEGINNING PLAYBACK.

“…Sidon, stop hunching.”

He instantly straightened his back. “Sorry, sorry, I’m just _horribly_ nervous, Mipha. Were you this anxious when your debut happened? I don’t remember you being nervous—goddesses, is it warm in here or is it just me—“

“Sidon.” His sister patted his arm. “It’s going to be okay. Debuts aren’t that scary. They are much like the extravagant parties we have on our respective birthdays.”

His tail twitched, “Except the ballroom is _crawling_ with nobles and gentry from all over Hyrule. What if they think me a fool, or worse, a _rake_?”

Mipha let out an exasperated sigh. “No one is going to think either of those things about you, brother.” She folded her arms. “You really are worried about this.”

“I haven’t slept in two whole days.”

She scrunched up her face in confusion. “Wait, wait, you _haven’t_ slept? But you were doing laps all day yesterday, how on earth are you not tired?”

“Fear.” His fins snapped to his sides.

Mipha pursed her lips and nodded. “...As relatable as this is, you should have come to me for help! I could have made you tea.”

“I know…” He muttered regretfully and rubbed the back of his neck. A part of him wanted to overcome his fear on his own. It was bad enough that he was shedding teeth over this, and now he was making Mipha worry. Heirs weren’t supposed to fuss over spares.

She elbowed him. “If you really are uncomfortable being out there with a bunch of new people, you can come sit with the other Champions and myself.” 

But the Champions were _her_ thing. It wasn’t fair if she had to comfort him while she sat with her friends. It felt wrong, it all felt _wrong_. Something toppled inside Sidon. What was the point of all this if he never was going to be out of his sister’s shadow? She was Champion of Vah Ruta and the future leader of the Zora.

And he was _nothing._

“—Hey Sidon. SIDON!” Mipha yanked on his arm, practically snapping him out of his thoughts. “It’s time to make your big entrance!” She pushed on his back, “Now go on!”

Sidon allowed his sister to usher him into the ballroom, which upon entering, his mouth hung ajar. The room was like a glittering chalice, filled to the brim with people from different regions.

“You know,” His sister added coyly. “They all came to see _you_.”She was right, as always. Maybe they all really did come for him. That was a novel and welcomed idea.

It would be unbecoming of him if his tailed started wagging at this moment, which is precisely what happened. The fins on his arms flared out with pride as his shoulders settled back confidently. He could do this.

“Just be yourself, Sidon.”  She hummed before leaving his side when her name was announced.

He held his chin up when his name was called, and just as he practiced, he coolly entered the party. He of course was immediately bombarded by nobles and good kinsmen alike. They were all terribly polite, so he had no reason to complain. He did wish they gave him a tad more space. Sidon really did like meeting new people, and he considered himself a rather affectionate individual, but he didn’t like being swarmed. There were dozens of people vying for his attention, he wanted to be courteous, but it was so overwhelming—

“Ah, there you are.” A clear voice cut through the din of his admirers. “You are rude, you know, keeping me waiting.” 

Baffled, Sidon directed his attention to the owner of the voice, and found the Champion of Hyrule standing before him. Sidon’s mouth hung open for the second time that night. He had seen the Champion briefly, but his voice as well as his demeanor caught him off guard.

The Champion, or also known as Link, stood akimbo with a playful swagger in his hips. Sidon gulped as Link smirked at him.  He was not accustomed to such…behavior.

“Well? _Did_ you not promise to show me around?”

He had never exchanged any such promises with Link before, let alone had any type of conversation with him in his lif— Sidon’s eyes widened. Oh, _oh_ , Link was offering him a means to escape.  Normally he should turn down such invitation…after all, it was his debut.

“Of course, I will not keep you waiting any longer.” He gave Link a brief smile and turned to his other guests. “I am dreadfully sorry, but I _did_ promise the fine Champion a tour. Do not fret, I will be back to mingle with you all later.”

Like magic, the swarm around him dissipated like a puddle on a hot day.

“Well,” Link began. “I would offer you my arm, except uh, you are a _smidge_ taller than me.”

Sidon chuckled and gestured Link to follow him. “I am honored by your chivalry none the less.” He was surprised when he wasn’t called back to join the party as he and Link departed for the balcony. Perhaps Link’s title as Champion gave him some immunity.

“I would have asked you to dance, although I think that might have been difficult.” The Champion mused, leaning against the cold, marble railing.

Sidon was quick to quip. “Mm, must because you’ve heard of my _terrible_ dancing skills.” He found himself grinning as Link snickered.  “It is the truth! I always step on my poor instructor’s feet.”

“Really? Guess you have something in common with this yokel.” Link gazed back into the ballroom. “Never was fond of dancing either, though I would often help Zelda get out of things by asking her to dance.” Link sighed, shaking his head. “You think your experience was bad, you haven’t been to a Hylian ball.”

“…Are they truly that bad?” Sidon cocked his head slightly. Mipha had gone to a few, as a Champion, but she never complained about it. Judging by Link’s expression, which was him dragging his hands down his cheeks , causing his bottom eyelids to tug open, it must have been awful.

“…The suitors are the worst. Do you know how many duels I had to have to have because I offended some _milksop’s_ dainty pride.” The Champion’s face curdled in disgust.  “Too many.  I would rather catch swine and deal with their bites than have to be ‘respectable’ to some bitter suitor.”

He was surprised that Link was being so open to him. It was…nice. Sidon hadn’t been on the receiving end of such informal, but friendly talk, especially from someone he didn’t know. He should have been offended, or demand the Champion to curb his tongue, yet he couldn’t bring himself to.

There was something so enrapturing about the Champion. It was like watching a fire flicker and pop on dry kindle. If that was the case, then Sidon was probably sitting too close, getting too comfortable with the flame that was Hyrule’s Champion.

“…Well, you ready to go back?”

Truthfully, Sidon didn’t want to return to his own party. He wanted to bask in this new found warmth longer, he wanted to—

Sidon nodded, “It would be rude of me to have all of your attention for the evening.” His fins drooped slightly. “…I’m sure it would reflect poorly on me as well if I did not socialize with the other guests.”

“You can always blame me if that happens.” Link shrugged. “It’s an excuse that Zelda does, so if it works for her, I’m sure it’ll work for you.”

Now Sidon was more than tempted to ask Link to stay out here with him. He was so much more invigorating than anything the Prince had experienced before.

“It is…tempting.” Sidon rubbed his chin, mulling over the consequences if he did decide to accept. “I am truly gracious for the offer, but I am afraid that I must decline.”

Link dipped his head politely, “’Course. You know where I’m at if you need a breather.” He left Sidon at the balcony, his pace quickening upon the other Champions waving him over to their little group.

Sidon stood alone on the balcony a few moments longer before returning to his other guests. As promised, he mingled and chatted away with several nobles and gentry. All of them were pleasant, but his brief encounter with the Champion of Hyrule made him starved for conversational substance.

He looked for Link occasionally, often times spotting him having a rather animated discussion with the Rito Champion. He would smile to himself and return to whichever individual he was speaking originally to. Whenever he did look away, a simple thought always crossed his mind.

He wanted to be burned, and he wanted to be burned _badly_ by the fire that was Hyrule’s Champion.

END OF MEMORY PLAYBACK.  

 

* * *

 

The sun hadn’t risen when they left Hyrule Castle. The air was hot, stagnant, and smelled strongly of rain. Link was in the stables, tacking up his chosen steed for the voyage. The black mare chomped nosily on the bit of her bridle, her hooves picking at the ground in trepidation. 

Link was actually more nervous than the horse was, seeing that this particular mare had the propensity to bite and buck. What made her truly bizarre was that he had released several times, but she always returned, nickering and prancing over to his side.

She was also a horrible bully, and was known to leap fences to terrorize his other horses. The stable hands had the worst time with her, many received a bite or kick from her, undoubtedly a rite of passage in her own twisted sense.

And yet, Link had picked her to ride. Out of all his small herd of horses, this one, Agro, was the only one who tolerated the sword. The other horses ran from him, screaming and kicking up their heels as they fled, but not Agro. Upon hearing the immense displeasure of the other horses, she trotted over, ears pricked with interest. She approached Link and the sword in his hands, and pressed her nose flat against the blade, her wide nostrils flaring loudly. The mare then nickered happily at him, tossing her head with excitement. Of course she wouldn’t mind carrying the sword. It was an instrument of immense displeasure to the other horses. What a cruel beast she was.

“I hope she rides fast.”

Link lifted his head at the sound of Sidon’s voice. At the moment, the sword was fastened to the saddle, positioned horizontally along the mare’s side. He was worried Agro might do something to the sword, but she only flicked her tail and occasionally flopped her lips at it.

Link nodded in response to Sidon’s comment. He couldn’t convey it well, but he assured Sidon that Agro was indeed a fast horse.

“…I don’t want you to push her, Link, since she seems like a very fine horse, but I cannot stress the urgency of the situation.” Sidon’s voice was strained, most likely from stress. He was someone who liked confronting a problem head on and giving it no time to fester. The distance between here and the land of his birth was quite a stretch, and it appeared that Sidon was already anxious to get the discussion with his father over with.

Link rubbed the sword’s gem. It wasn’t going to be an easy conversation. A lot had happened last night, and Sidon’s father would most likely not approve of Sidon’s decision. And knowing Sidon, he had a tendency to make things personable to strengthen his reasoning, which meant he would reveal his and Link’s relationship.

There was a sharp pain in Link’s chest as he pressed his cheek again the gem. He didn’t want to disclose their relationship like this. Sidon’s father had always been approving of Sidon and Link’s friendship, and the knowledge of their secret courtship probably wouldn’t surprise him much. It was the fact that they were stating it under these circumstances. He didn’t know how else to explain it, or why it hurt so much, but the feelings were there, and he was going to have to deal with them through the whole journey.

The Prince sighed softly, his words a mere whisper, “…You know I love you.”

Link sniffled and pushed away from the sword, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. He was not going to start crying. He wouldn’t be able to stop if he did. After finalizing his preparations with the saddle, Link gripped Agro’s reins and lead the mare out of the stables.

The Castle and the surrounding town were silent when they departed. There were no people in the streets, not even the local strays were out and about. Agro’s shoed hooves clattered noisily on the cobblestone streets, the crisp sound grated Link’s nerves.

As they approached the plaza located near the entrance of the town, Link spotted something odd.  In front of the fountain in the center, there was a glowing plate embedded in the stone. His brow furrowed. He knew this place well, and he never recalled this strange thing being here before.

He hesitantly drew the sword and approached the plate. Sensing the sword, the plate rose a few feet off the ground, generating a vertical box of magenta light under it.

“…I am supposed to go in there.” 

Link warily eyed the plate. His grip on the sword tightened.

“It’s—It’s pulling me in.” Sidon struggled to find the words. “I can’t explain it, Link, just stick me in there.”

He didn’t like this. What if the plate took the sword from him, then what?

“Link,” Sidon interrupted his train of thought. “I think it’s made for _me_. It might aid us in our trials.”

That still didn’t lessen his fear about this thing. To his surprise, Agro pulled on her reins, stretching her nose out to touch it. She sniffed the alien contraption before snorting loudly. Well…if Sidon didn’t bother her, and if this…thing didn’t freak out Agro, than maybe it was okay to use. Link couldn’t believe his judgement was swayed by horse.

Link outstretched his hand, clutching the hilt of the sword as he immersed it in the magenta light. Something rippled through his core as a screen materialized in front of him.

“How strange.” Sidon mused. “It’s…a database. It seems like you an equip abilities and such here.”

Link touched the screen before him, feeling it poignantly change to reveal a catalogue of collected data called ‘Functions’.

“…Look, I’m…I’m in here.”  There was indeed a profile of Sidon. Link’s finger hovered over it briefly, before jerking his hand away.

“What, what on earth are you afraid of?” The sword flickered playfully. “You of all people shouldn’t be worried about what’s in there.” His voice became hushed. “You know me better than I know myself.”

All the more reason why he didn’t need to go digging around. Link removed the sword from the confines of the warm light, watching the plate retract into the ground.

“…Are you alright?” Sidon inquired.

Link took a sharp breath as he fastened the sword back onto the saddle. His hands were trembling as he gathered the reins in his hand and resumed leading Agro. He didn’t want to know what information was stored inside the sword. He didn’t want to think about it. It was disturbing to think that there was stuff about Sidon stored inside it, and Link was able to access it. The whole ordeal with the plate felt violating and intimate. It made him nauseated, because while Sidon didn’t mention or notice it, there was another profile on stashed in the sword.

And it was Link’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Slides Nintendo 20 Monopoly dollars* Give us a DLC where Link and Sidon dance. Bioware did it, Nintendo, so that means you gotta.


	3. Gold Leaf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello naughty children, it's murder time. 
> 
> That being said, there is gore and some other nasty stuff. We are entering darker territory. I have changed the tags to notify you guys, but I am trusting y'all to keep that in mind. 
> 
> On another note, if you haven't played Transistor, then you might not realize that the titles of the chapters are songs from the game. I highly recommend listening to them, especially for the next chapter whenever it comes out, while reading the piece. The chapter title music, however, does not really work with any of the MEMORY PLAYBACKS, but if you want music for those, Sandbox or Coasting are good fits. I personally prefer the ones with the humming added into them, but hey, to each their own.
> 
> I know you all have questions, and let me tell you I had a whole lot when I played Transistor. But the more you read, the more stuff will make sense. I promise you it will all make sense soon.

“I see why you enjoy riding horses so much.”  

Link glanced over to the sword fastened to the saddle. He was walking alongside Agro, guiding the surly mare by her reins. Sidon had been cheerfully chatting for most of their journey. He was most excited when Agro was going faster than a trot, or if she was jumping over an obstacle of sorts. Sidon said it reminded him of swimming, but Link didn’t see the connection.

“It is a shame there weren’t any mounts that could have supported my old body. This is truly wonderful, Link! What a way to travel.”

He inclined his head back to indicate he was listening. Sidon was lucky that he had never been saddle sore. Link paused. Could Sidon even get saddle sore? Probably?  If he could have, he would have gotten used to it over time. As much as Link considered himself a master horseman, he still liked stretching his legs. Plus, it was a nice break for Agro.

He had to admit, though, the idea of Sidon riding a horse was comical, especially with how short his legs were. Link snickered to himself. Sidon sitting on horse wouldn’t be possible, even if he did have his old body. Every poor horse Sidon had encountered fled from him. They knew a predator when they saw one. And while Sidon never admitted it, Link knew he was upset that the horses were scared of him.

“Link,” Sidon chimed. “It looks like rain, we must be nearing the realm of my people.”

He lifted his gaze toward the sky. Sure enough, there were clumps of grey clouds, and judging by their smudged look in the distance, it was already raining.

Link was looking forward to the cool reprieve of the Zora’s Domain. Hyrule’s summers were hot and stagnant, with little wind or rain. He had spent the last few summers at the Domain mainly because of its access to cool water. That and well, Sidon was there.

Agro tossed her head a few times, undoubtedly smelling the distant rain. Link had discovered that she had a great love of water, and wasn’t afraid to pull him off the trail to go splash in a stream. Sidon enjoyed it immensely, but he wasn’t the one fighting to get her out of the water.

Nearing the Domain, however, Link noticed a sudden chill in the air. It was biting and sharp, like the winds of winter. Pinpricks of white dotted Agro’s mane. At one point, Link held out his hand to catch a few of the flurries. They melted instantly in his hand. He turned to the sword, his face contorted in confusion.

“It’s the dead of summer, we shouldn’t be experiencing snow.” Sidon was equally mystified. “Cold rain yes, but _snow_?”

Link hastily remounted Agro and spurred her into a trot. The faster they got to the nearest stable the better. If it was cold enough to produce flurries, then the night would be even colder, and Link had no interest in losing his fingers to frostbite.

Puffs of breath billowed from Agro’s nostrils as she swaggered down the path. The snow started falling faster, thicker, than the snowflakes they had encountered earlier. His teeth started to chatter as the temperature began to plummet.

Sidon called out, “Link, we should stop, you’re freezing!”

He shook his head, edging Agro to go a bit faster. He didn’t have the supplies for weathering out a snowstorm at night. Sidon’s new body might have been indestructible, but Link was still of flesh and bone.

Thankfully the stables weren’t too far off. Agro practically barreled into the barn, and there really was little Link could do to stop her.

Link was grateful that a stable hand was kind enough to lead Agro into a stall, despite the fact the Champion was frozen to the saddle.

The stable hand offered her hand to Link, “You have a good sense of timing. We were just about to shut the doors.”  She helped him dismount from Agro, who was greedily slurping water from a bucket.

“I take it you and your mount will be staying for the night.” The stable hand began to unhitch the bridle from Agro. Link nodded, rubbing the cold out of his hands.

“My mother is inside, she’ll see to it you are accommodated for the night.”

He quickly unfastened the sword from the saddle and dipped his head the young woman. Link patted Agro’s neck in parting, and the mare snorted loudly. He would be back later to make sure she was settled in.

“A shame I am in this condition,” Sidon sighed wistfully. “I know I wasn’t terribly warm, but I could at least offer you something from the cold.”

His lover was actually a big heat sponge before the night of the solstice. It worked out for Link, since he was a walking oven. He probably wouldn’t have been super cuddly in this weather, especially since Sidon’s old body was both cool and damp.

Finding the old woman who ran the stables wasn’t hard, seeing that she was the only other person in the commons.

“Ah, a traveler.” She said dryly, not looking up from her book. “Quite some weather we are having, mm? Not normal for this time of year.”

She eyed Link when he didn’t verbally respond. “Do you want a room and a stall?” Her voice was nasal and crinkled like old paper.  

Link nodded as the old woman turned from him to fetch some keys. “…We have a nice room for one—why are you shaking your head?”

He held up two fingers, and the old woman merely bobbed her head. “Ah, of course, the bigger beds are much nicer.”

Link deposited a handful of rupees in exchange for an old, tarnished key. The old woman sunk back into her chair, “…Go up the stairs and turn left. It’ll be the last door on your right.” She picked up her weathered book. “The fire is open for cooking, let me know if you need or want anything to eat.”

He bowed, but the old woman was already lost in her book. Link quietly mounted the stairs, hefting the sword into his arms to prevent it from dragging on the steps.

“My, my, your strength never ceases to impress me.” Sidon hummed. “But you didn’t need to get a larger room. Really, Link, I wouldn’t be offended.”

Like hell he was letting Sidon sleep on the floor, or propped against the wall. He might have been stuck in a sword, but that didn’t mean he liked treating him like one.

Their room was warm and dark. A large bed dominated the corner of their chamber, and Link unceremoniously tossed Sidon onto it. After lighting a lantern on the nightstand, he stripped off his used clothes and placed them haphazardly on a chair.

“…You are so beautiful.”

Sidon’s sudden praise sent the blood running to Link’s cheeks. He rummaged through his satchel and pulled out some warmer clothes.

The sword flickered like a candle flame, “Lovely.”

Link’s cheeks were stinging and he hid his face in his hands, eliciting a laugh from Sidon. “You are terribly handsome when you are flustered.”

He did not like being teased! Link harrumphed and yanked a pillow off the bed before hitting against the sword.

“Oof! I suppose I deserved that.”

Link plopped down beside the sword and pulled the pillow off. He propped his head up on his arm, gently tracing the twisting designs with his other hand.

“Link, I have a favor to ask.” Sidon said softly. “Could—could you kiss me?”

He hooded his eyelids as he leaned over to kiss the gem of the sword. Sidon was silent for several moments afterwards. When he did finally speak up, his voice was distant and weak. “That…that was a good kiss.”

Link smiled proudly and sat up on the edge of the bed. It probably would be wise to check on Agro and make dinner. He was quite famished.  

“If you need to leave the room, I’ll be fine.” Sidon pulsed. “Really, I promise I won’t go anywhere.”

He rolled his eyes and pushed himself off the bed. Link hesitated as he unlatched the door. He looked back at Sidon.

Sidon chuckled, “Go on, Link, give your arms a break.”

Link sighed, knowing Sidon was going to keep pressuring him to leave if he didn’t. He begrudgingly left the room, and was paranoid for the hour he was out until he returned. And as promised, Sidon was waiting for him.

* * *

 

YOU SELECETED THE FUNCTION: CRASH() WOULD YOU LIKE TO READ THE DATA AVAILABLE FOR THIS FUNCTION? …PROCESSING… THIS FUNCTION IS TIED TO THE SUBJECT TITLED “LINK”.

GENDER: MALE

AGE: 25

TRACE: ENTACT

THERE IS A MEMORY CONNECTED TO THIS FUNCTION. WOULD YOU LIKE VIEW THE ATTACHED MEMORY? …PROCESSING…BEGINNING MEMORY SEQUENCE PLAYBACK.

The water was cool on his feet. Link leaned his head back, basking in the warm light of the summer sun. He always liked the Zora’s Domain in the summer. It wasn’t blistering like Gerudo or Death Mountain, or painstakingly dry like the Rito village, but a nice mix of warm and cool. It was a tad humid for his liking, but he couldn’t have everything. 

Ever since he was knighted as Hyrule’s Champion, he often circulated between the homes of the other four champions. While he was ready to set off for Hyrule Castle at moment’s notice, it was important that he bonded with the other Champions. They were his friends, teachers even, and he was learning so much from them.

A lot had changed for him in the last ten years of his life. His younger self would have never believed that he would travel and live in such far off places. He never imagined the world was so much bigger than he believed it to be.

Link was relaxing now. His sparring session with Mipha had ended, and he was now left alone to do whatever while she busied herself with other duties.

“Mister Champion!”

He turned his head to see a Zora child tottering over to him. “Why does your back have speckles? They weren’t there before.”

“Ah, those are my freckles. They come out more when the sun is shining.” He probably needed to put some lotion on. He burned very badly.

The child plopped next to him, “But why?”

Link chuckled and leaned back on his hands. “They really like the sun because it’s nice and warm.”

“Whoa! That’s so cool!” The Zora looked at her hands. “I wish I had spots that did that.”

“But you do! You have spots that come out at night, remember?”

Her face lit up in excitement. “Oh yeah! That’s so cool!”

Link grinned as the child stumbled to her feet, and darted off with her new found information. He saw her turn abruptly and run over to an adult Zora, which Link immediately recognized as Sidon.  It was endearing to see both the child and Sidon get incredibly excited over her new fact.

He went back to looking at the water, letting his feet continue dangling in the lake. Link was not at all surprised when Sidon came and sat next to him. The Prince always had a penchant for speaking with Link, not that the Champion minded.

“You having a good day?” Link elbowed Sidon. “Heard from Mipha you were stuck in some long meetings.”

“Some issues with monsters on the border. I thought it would be something that would be relatively easy to solve, but there was so much bickering from the elders.” Sidon huffed. He sounded tired, which was bizarre to Link, seeing that Sidon was known for his boundless energy. “…I really don’t understand it.”

Link shrugged, “I would offer advice, except I know nothing about politics.”

“Oh no,” Sidon quickly shook his head. “I wouldn’t want to bore you with something so dull anyway. My frustrations with my duties are not what brought me to you.”

He quirked his brow. “Really? Then what did?”

It was charming to see this ten-foot tall Zora of teeth and muscle suddenly become bashful.  Sidon lowered his head, his long tail swishing nervously, “I thought you might like to accompany me for a swim.” His sharp claws tugged on his silver collar, “It is fairly warm today, and the water is perfect for a swim…”

It didn’t escape Link’s notice that Sidon’s eyes were avoiding his own. He smiled wryly and gazed back at the lake. “I don’t mind, though I will warn you that I’m a lousy swimmer.”

“Oh, I highly doubt that!” The Prince exclaimed, knotting his hands into fists. “I’m sure you are a fine swimmer!”

“Pfft, hardly.”

Apparently Sidon wasn’t going to take that for an answer and promptly pushed Link into the lake. The Champion yelped before being submerged into the water. His legs propelled him to the surface, allowing him to gasp for air.

“You are doing beautifully!” Sidon beamed happily. “Your natural reflexes kicked in and you did not sink—“ He sputtered loudly as Link splashed him. Sidon stared at him, eyes wide, mouth ajar. He seemed so stunned that Link had retaliated against him. The Prince sat there for a few moments, absolutely shocked. Unfortunately for Link, Sidon quickly came to his senses. His golden eyes narrowed as his lips curled into a frown.

“That was a declaration of _war,_ and I hope you are ready to face the consequences.”

Link was momentarily terrified that he had actually created a huge political mess, when Sidon launched himself into the water, purposely making a huge splash. The Champion attempted to pull himself back onto the ledge they were previously sitting on, except Sidon’s massive arm looped around his waist. He feebly protested as Sidon started swimming backwards.

It’s not that Link was afraid of water, but he normally didn’t go too far out. Mostly because the lake by his childhood home was infested with cat fish that liked biting off people’s toes. Not much of a positive incentive to learn how to swim.

The water was getting colder, darker, and Link shifted to hold onto Sidon. He didn’t doubt that Sidon had a good grip, but it didn’t hurt to have extra support.  Upon latching his arms around Sidon’s shoulders, Sidon unhooked his arm from Link’s waist, which was the exact opposite of Link’s desired effect. His gut clenched. Link needed to focus on something that wasn’t them being in deep, open water.

His attention was drawn to the lazy push and pull of Sidon’s shoulder muscles. He knew Sidon was strong, but feeling his muscles work was something else— Link scrunched his face and pointedly did not look at Sidon. He hated this stupid Prince, and his stupid muscles, and his stupid face.

“Your face is awfully red, are you feeling—“

He abruptly interjected. “IT’S SUNBURN.  MY FACE IS BURNING FROM THE SUN.”  He glared at Sidon as the Prince stifled his laughter.

“Really? I did not realize sunburn blossoms so quickly on one’s face.” Sidon smirked.

Link was _this_ close to smashing his head into Sidon’s face. He was really considering it. They probably would end up going to war over it, but Link was okay with that. It would be Zelda’s problem, not his.

“…Try kicking your legs.”

He continued to scowl at Sidon. “What for?”

“It’ll help you learn.” He gingerly reached back and grasped Link’s hands. He gently removed them from his shoulders, but he didn’t let go. “Come on, give it a try!”

Sidon was lucky that he was disarmingly charming, or Link would have slapped him by now. He grumbled bitterly and began kicking his legs. Sidon would praise him repeatedly and offer up some advice to further his skills.

This went on for a bit. Link eventually insisted that they go back because he could feel his skin frying under the afternoon sun. Sidon agreed, and ferried Link back to shore. Once they were back on land, Sidon bowed and thanked Link for spending time with him. Link’s face was literally burning from the exposure to the sun, and would sting horribly for the next few days.

He gingerly rubbed his cheek as he watched Sidon walk away. He hated that Sidon had a beautiful smile.

END OF MEMORY SEQUENCE. CURRENT OPERATIONS FOR VIEWING OTHER MEMORIES IS DISABLED. PLEASE TRY AGAIN LATER OR RESTART THIS PROGRAM.

* * *

 

There was frost on the window panes when Link awoke. The air was sharp and crisp, and Link felt like he was back at the mountain of the Rito Village. He sat up in bed, causing the layers of blankets to pool around his midsection.

“…Come back to bed.” Sidon mumbled sleepily. The sword barely peeked out from under the quilted cocoon of blankets.

But Link was already up and gazing out the frosted window. It was morning, judging by the pink and gold light streaming in. The snow had let up, but there was a good few inches settled on the ground. Link grunted. The path into the Zora’s Domain was going to slippery, which meant Agro was going to have to remain here. He was hoping she would accompany them all the way there, seeing how heavy the sword was, but he wasn’t risking her life so his shoulders wouldn’t ache.

He quickly prepped himself for the journey ahead, grateful that the stable owner had some spare winter clothes lying around. There was no way in hell he was marching up there without something warm.

Sidon was groggy even after being taken from the bed and touted down stairs. He never was a morning person when Link slept with him. Sidon really liked having a personal heater.

The stable hand warned Link about heading off toward the Domain, but after he staunchly declined staying, she realized Link was too stubborn to be convinced. She did offer him some extra provisions, as well as the promise that Agro would be in good hands while Link was gone.

He thanked her profusely before dipping into the stables to give Agro a quick goodbye. Upon hearing him approach, the mare stuck her head out. Her ears pricked as he rubbed the white star on her forehead. She tossed her head at him, her dark eyes glinting at him. Agro pulled away from Link and resumed eating the hay scattered on the floor.  He was starting to become fond of this bully of a horse.

The cold set Link’s teeth on edge as he stepped outside. He pulled up the thick collar of his shirt, his nose already burning from the chilly air. He started to wonder how the other Zoras were putting up with the cold. He knew that Sidon was fairly resistant to it, but did the Domain ever get this cold?

The snow crunched loudly under his boots. He was trying to figure out what exactly was making the Domain a frigid tundra in the middle of summer.

“Do you think this is Vah Ruta’s doing?” Sidon’s voice was taut. “It does produce water and ice, Link. Do you think something is wrong with it?”

Link searched the sky and was thankful to see it mostly clear. He hoped this wasn’t related to Vah Ruta. If something was wrong with the Divine Beast, then something must have happened to Mipha. And if that was the case, then it would make having the conversation with the Zora King a hell of a lot more painful.

Their journey to the Domain was a treacherous one. Link had managed to slip and fall more times he could count. He kept tuning out Sidon’s pleas to stop and rest. Link couldn’t, not if the Divine Beast and the Champion of the Zoras were in danger.

He was partially thankful for the cold weather, for it culled off many of the monsters that inhabited the region. Link spotted the frozen remains of several of the cold’s victims, and thanked the stars that he had stayed at the stables last night. As strong as he was, he wouldn’t have survived out here once the sun fell.

He was exhausted when he finally arrived at the heart of the Zora’s Domain. Link was practically dragging Sidon when they crossed the bridge.  Daylight was beginning to fade, and they would need to—

“Link, where are my people.” Light flared from the sword. “Where—where are they? Link?”

He pulled the sword up to his chest, purposely obscuring the eye-like gem of the sword.

“What do you see? What do you see!” Sidon’s voice was rising, “Don’t you _dare_ blind me! What do you _see_!”  

Bile bubbled in the pit of Link’s stomach as he buried his face in the cross guard. Sidon was yelling at him, demanding to be put down at once. Link trembled against the sword, shaking his head profusely. He didn’t want Sidon to see.

Frozen. Everything in the Domain was frozen solid. There were odd formations of ice jutting from the earth, and it took Link only a matter of seconds to realize they were victims.

They were Zoras encased in a thick, white ice.  Several near the entrance appeared like fresh ice statues, glinting eerily in the fading light. Those near the fountain, however, were mutilated. Bloodied chunks of ice and flesh littered area, and Link had to fight the growing urge to vomit.  

Sitting on top of the frozen fountain was undoubtedly the perpetrator of these atrocities. It sat hunched, the crimson tail protruding out of its head writhed violently. The creature lifted its head upon sensing Link.  It had no eyes, but what Link found most unsettling was its mouth, which was cavernous and filled with thin, twisting teeth. Bits of broken jewelry hung from the creature’s neck and head, jingling nosily as it violently convulsed and thrashed.

It gnashed its teeth together as it dragged its four hands down its face and neck.

_“Link…Link…Link…”_ It snarled, voice distorted and static filled. _“You CAME YOU CAME YOU caME. I KNEW I knEW YOU WOuLD.”_

He felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle. Was…was that? Link instinctively dropped into a defensive stance, lowering Sidon the ground. It was only moments before a cry of anguish erupted from the sword. As pained as Link was to hear Sidon weep and cruse violently, the monster was sliding down the frozen fountain. There was no time for comfort, no time for grief, as the creature yanked out a trident rooted at the foot of the fountain.

“You monster!” Sidon shouted between sobs. “I’ll have your head!”

The creature paused at Sidon’s outburst, cocking its head inquisitively.  It clattered its jaws loudly, sending chills down Link’s spine.

_“SIDON SIdON SIDoN.”_ It keened as it reared its head back like a hooded cobra. _“Brother…BROTHER.”_ The monster turned and fled, darting off to the direction of the throne room.

Link squeezed the hilt of the sword, feeling the hard metal cinch through his gloves. His heart relaxed in his chest as the immediate threat had vacated the area. He looked at the sword in his hands. Sidon was weeping quietly, his breath coming in short, ragged intervals.  There were moments when he tried to speak, but a torrent of sobs would tumble forth. Link knelt beside the sword, pressing his face against the dark gem.

“Don’t…don’t leave me, Link.” He begged. “Please, please I can’t lose you—I can’t.” The light from the sword shuddered.

Link lifted the sword into his arms and rocked it gently. He wouldn’t be able to comfort Sidon much longer, not when that…thing was still out there. Link hummed into the blade and pressed little kisses along the rim of the gem.  He tapped on the gem after a few moments.

“…Yes?” Sidon answered blearily.

Link gently traced his finger onto the blade, slowly spelling out, _‘I love you.’_

He sniffed loudly in response, “Oh, Link.”  Sidon’s tone softened. “…Not…not as much as I love you.”

The Champion smiled sadly and settled Sidon back down.

“I think…I think I’ll manage for now. Let’s go before…”

Link was already trotting after the monster, purposely avoiding the messy remains of its victims. The faster they could get this over with, the faster they could start stabilizing the Domain. If Mipha was truly lost to them, then Link was going to have to take control of Vah Ruta, which was a task he wasn’t looking forward to. He didn’t want to think of what lied within the Divine Beast. Maybe there was nothing in it, or maybe it housed several monsters like the one he encountered. For now, he just needed to worry about ridding this one monster. The rest would fall into place later.

He padded into the throne room and spotted the creature kneeling before the empty throne. It was whimpering in its broken voice.

The sword in his hands took a sharp breath, shutting in whatever horrid grief he felt. And as calmly as possible, he addressed the abomination,

“Hello, _Mipha_.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	4. iN cIRclEs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are so many of you! Oh, Argo is so pleased that you are all enjoying this beast of a fic. I always feel emotionally raw after writing these chapters, which is probably why they are so short. Ah well, no pain no gain.

Gone. Mipha was too far gone to be saved.

Link squeezed the cross guard reassuringly. A wordless agreement passed between the two lovers. End her misery and reclaim the Domain.

Mipha raised her head, letting it roll to the side and rest on her shoulder. She was trying to say something. Her words were harsh, guttural sounds that reverberated from the back of her throat. Some part of her was still in there. A pathetic shred of her mind, a scrap left over from whatever consumed her soul. To see Mipha like this, distorted and cruel, it was sickening.

“I’m sorry, sister.” Sidon was on the verge of crying again. “I’m sorry I couldn’t save you.”

She shrieked and raked her nails into the cold floor, her nails cutting through the stone. “ _knEW you ComE KNEW yOU cOMe.”_ Mipha chanted brokenly as she rose to her feet.

Link tensed and readied himself. Mipha was formidable before her forced transformation, and judging by what they had seen entering the Domain, her prowess as a warrior was manipulated into sheer brutality.

“…Show her no fear, Link. Don’t let what has happened to her get to you.”  There was an edge to Sidon’s encouragement. “Let’s put an end to her suffering.”

His gaze never once left Mipha. Her behavior was growing increasingly erratic as she gripped her trident. Her lips curled outward, displaying her tar black gums and spiraled teeth.

_“LINKlINkLiNk!”_ She chattered, her mouth twitching in different directions before she abruptly surged forward. Her trident crashed against the wide blade of the sword as Link lifted it like a shield. The shock of the two weapons colliding knocked the wind out him. He staggered back when Mipha pulled away, only to charge at him again. Link crashed the sword into the ground, causing a familiar wave of pink energy to erupt from the earth. The pink tendrils ruptured from the stones in the floor, snagging Mipha’s legs during her second charge.

She howled and aggressively stabbed the vines ensnaring her legs. Link was prepared to bombard her with the energy until she collapsed under the weight of the vines. It worked against their attacker at the solstice, this time wouldn’t be any different.

Mipha, however, was quick to recover from the attack and sprung backwards. _“WHYwHYWHy?”_ She threw her head back and screamed.

He wasn’t so easily deterred by her unstable behavior. Link ran at Mipha, sword flaring brilliantly in his hands. He swung at her, the blade making contact with her trident as she blocked his attack. Mipha clattered her jaws at him, trying to overpower him. She would have succeeded since her body power was superior to his, except Link smashed his gauntleted fist into her face.

She stumbled back, two of her hands cupping her now bleeding jaw while the others supported the trident. The black ooze Link had seen dribble out of their attacker at the solstice was gushing from her wounded mouth. This time, however, there were things spawning out of the goop.

They weren’t large, no bigger than Link’s fist, but what they lacked in size they made up in sheer numbers. These new creatures were small, orb-like, and sped quickly above the ground.

“How disgusting.” Sidon grimaced.

The little creatures were harmless, thankfully, but they really liked swarming around Link’s feet. He felt little remorse crushing them under the sword, although Sidon was making obvious sounds of disgust.

_“We wANteD WE WANTeD tO Help HeLP!”_ Mipha started circling Link, dragging her trident into the ground.   _“YOUyOUyoU!”_ She swiped the air in front of him with trident, summoning a trio of ice shards that flew toward him.

Link managed to block two of them, but the third tore through his left shoulder. He screamed, involuntarily dropping the sword to clutch his shoulder. Blood spurted out between his fingers as he tried to yank the shard out. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Mipha shuddering, raising the trident above her head. She was going to throw it at him, and he had no real means to defend himself.

“ **DON’T YOU TOUCH HIM!”** Sidon growled, deep and feral. “ **DON’T YOU _DARE_ TOUCH HIM, MIPHA!** ”

Immediately, Mipha dropped her trident and started wailing, gnashing her teeth toward the sky. Link took a sharp breath and steeled his nerves. He snatched the sword off the ground and made another pass at Mipha. He smashed the blade into her side, causing the pink vines to blossom from her injury.

Link felt Mipha rake into his wounded shoulder, ripping his flesh asunder and digging grooves into his bones. He screamed as pain consumed his mind. Faintly he could hear Sidon shouting, begging his sister to stop. It all seemed so distant like a dream.

Link banged his head against Mipha’s, causing her to violently pull away from him. She was rubbing her face with all four of her hands.

He lunged toward her, and swung the blade upwards. As the sword tore through her body, from hip to shoulder, weakly she said, _“FinAlly FINallY WE CaN We CAN…”_ Her corpse fell to the ground like a discarded doll.

“Link, Link you must stay with me!” Sidon’s words were barely making through the haze that was Link’s mind. Blood raced down his arm. His exposed shoulder screamed in white, hot pain. He felt his knees hit the ground. For a few moments, he sat there, feeling the blood and adrenaline run out of him.

Everything…everything was…

* * *

* * *

 

The scent of rain is what awoke him. The surface beneath him rippled, like water, while he tried to grasp his bearings. His eyes blearily opened, and he found himself in Sidon’s room.

“Mm, so you’re awake.”

Link turned his head to see a slender Zora sitting by the bed. He…he knew that Zora. He couldn’t pin point where or how he knew him, probably a result of losing a lot of blood—

“Your fever finally went down.” The grey Zora droned. “I knew it would, but his highness was terribly worried. You know how the Prince is.”

His eyes widened. So Sidon was alright. That…that was a relief. It did finally dawn on Link that there was a Zora who had survived Mipha’s corruption. Even with the weight of everything else, this news probably lightened Sidon’s heart a bit.

The grey Zora slinked away from the bed, busying himself at a table covered in vials and medicinal herbs of sorts. “…I suppose you don’t remember me. We did meet a few times, in passing, but nothing substantial.” The thresher tail on the back of his head swished lazily. “I will need to ask you a few questions about your wellbeing. The Prince has enlightened me about your situation, so a simple nod or shake of the head will suffice.”

Link sat up in the bed and leaned against the headboard as the Zora approached him.

“Do you still feel pain in your shoulder?” He stooped over, gently unraveling the bandages. Link shook his head, and avoided looking at the mess that was his shoulder.  While he could smell the medicine slathered on his wound, Link could pick out the disgusting scent of a healing wound.

“Mm, do you have a headache?”

He shook his head again and closed his eyes.

The Zora hummed contently, “Did you enjoy your first mating session with his Highness? I know that was ages ago, but I haven’t had the chance to ask.”

Link sputtered on his own spit. His cheeks were stinging as the blood flew to his face. This didn’t faze the Zora, in fact Link got the opposite reaction.

“Mm,” The Zora chuckled richly. “…He took good care of you, then.”

The Champion made a quiet noise and avoided making eye contact with the healer.

“You should have seen him, oh so terribly nervous about making love to a little Hylian.” He prattled on as he cleaned Link’s wound. “Really, it’s not all that difficult.”

Link wanted to melt into a little puddle and sink into the floor.

There was a loud knock at the door before it burst open.

“…Your highness,” Came an older voice. “I assure you, the Champion is alright.” A massive, black Zora sauntered into the room, cradling the sword in his arm like it was a child. “You see? He’s fine.”

“—He is CLEARLY not! Do you not see how red his face is?” Sidon huffed loudly. “Conium, it is _my_ job to make Link flustered! You are supposed to heal him, not make him blush to oblivion!”

Link had to smile at how animated Sidon was behaving. It was like nothing had changed, and it was comforting thought to have in light of recent events.

The large Zora gently propped the sword up next to Link and bowed briefly. “Your Highness,” His amber eyes flickered over to Link, “Champion.”

“…I’ll catch up, dearest.” Conium chimed, not looking up from Link’s wounds.

Link noticed that Conium did steal a glance at the black Zora as he left. A gaze, Link noted, that lingered a little too long.

“There,” the healer applied the last bit of salve on Link’s shoulder. “We’re just going to let the wound air out for a bit.” Conium smiled coolly. “I’ll give you two some…privacy.” He purred silkily before leaving.

Link was about to burst into tears when Conium left. He hid his face in his hands. He was this close to screaming from embarrassment.

“Is something the matter?”

He shook his head and let his hands rest on his lap. Link looked over at Sidon, who was chuckling softly.

“…Conium always liked teasing me, he still does.” The sword pulsed warmly. “I owe him quite a lot in regards to you. He saved you from the brink of death.” Sidon paused before adding sadly. “…I thought I had lost you, Link.” His voice became reedy. “You were dying and I couldn’t do anything.”

Link pulled the sword into his arms, rubbing his face against the gem. Sidon made these quiet whimpers as Link rocked him gently.

“I don’t know what would have happened if I had lost all my great loves in one day.” His voice cracked. “…It would be too much.”

He hummed into the blade as Sidon wept quietly. Link traced a few words into the gem, stuff like Sidon’s name and little phrases like ‘I love you’.  That seemed to soothe Sidon a bit. Honestly, his lover was suffering so much in words and ways Link couldn’t comprehend. And yet, despite all his pain, apparent or concealed, Sidon was still trying to move forward.  He knew Sidon called Link the ‘strong’ one, but the Champion knew otherwise.

Sidon hiccupped, the lights from the sword blinking, as his grief began to pass. The Prince’s turmoil on the surface was subsiding, but Link knew Sidon kept reservoirs of his feelings stashed away. It was a habit Link had tried to get Sidon to break before the solstice.

For Sidon, it was so much easier to deflect his emotions with optimism or sly remarks. Link knew Sidon never valued his feelings to be worth much to others, even if they insisted that what he felt mattered. Being trapped in the sword undid whatever progress Sidon had made, and attempting to recover it would be impossible.

“…My father lives.” Sidon sniffed. “He and a few of the elders are still alive.”

He laid the sword on his lap, his fingers rubbing the swirled designs.  At least Sidon had some blood relatives still alive. It looked like things weren’t so horrible after all. Technically, their situation was terrible, but at least there would be someone watching the remaining Zoras. Link didn’t know if they could afford to stay longer than they needed to, not when his thirst for answers was so great.

“He knows about what happened, and while most of the elders disagreed with my sacrifice, father was most supportive.” There was a low warble in his voice, “When I was alone with him, I told him about our engagement. He…he said the kingdom would be in good hands if we married.”

_A Prince without a body, a Champion without a voice, oh yes, they were just what the Domain needed._

“Do…do you still want to marry me?” Sidon’s voice was small. “I won’t blame you if you change your mind.”

He leaned over to kiss the gem of the sword. As he parted, Link offered a small smile and nodded.

“I-I suppose it was foolish of me to think so basely of you.” Sidon babbled. “I mean, you did propose—but I wasn’t sure—I just wanted to make sure you were certain—“

Link pressed a finger to his lips, causing Sidon to quieten. “I always did talk a lot when I was nervous or flustered.” He added defensively. “Mipha always used to chide me about it.”

His throat clamped at the mention of the Zora Champion. He tilted his head up towards the ceiling as his stomach sloshed at the thought of Mipha and her corruption. And as usual, Sidon was quick to notice.

“…When we finished her off, her soul was transferred into the sword, or whatever was left of it.” Upon seeing Link’s concerned face, Sidon continued hastily. “She can’t corrupt me, Link, not if it’s her soul or mind that was absorbed into the sword. She’s…still herself, somewhat.” He fumbled for words. “I’ve been speaking with her, and I’ve discovered something quite interesting.”

Sidon took a deep breath, the colors of the sword seemed to pale slightly. “Zelda knows about the sword. From what I can grasp from Mipha, all of the other Champions knew of the sword.”

But that didn’t make sense. Zelda always told him everything, so why would she omit this from him?

“…The sword is called the ‘Transistor’, and was found deep in Gerudo desert.” He continued, his voice straining. “Mipha doesn’t know much about the Transistor, but she believes Zelda can tell us more. She doesn’t understand why the Princess didn’t tell us more about it—especially due to our circumstances.”

Again, it wasn’t in Zelda’s nature to hide things like this from Link. His fingers tapped on the blade. He didn’t want to believe Zelda to be malicious, but it was cruel of her to do something like this. It felt like something was squeezing on his heart. She could have helped them, hell, maybe she knew how to reverse what was done to Sidon.  His hand curled into a fist. The impossible was happening more and more often, so he shouldn’t have been surprised by what Zelda did.

“…I was thinking about the ceremony.”

Link looked at the sword on his lap, his gaze softening. He gestured for Sidon to continue.

“If it’s possible, I would like to have it before we go. I am not sure what will happen once we leave, but I want the world to know that I am yours and you are mine.” His voice dropped slightly. “I am done hiding my affections for you.”

They had reasons on why their courtship was secret. They both had dozens of problems, and having their relationship out in the open was something they wanted to avoid. There would always be the distaste from nobles of both sides, and while Link could ignore it, Sidon couldn’t.

They both were afraid of accidentally starting a war because they courting. It sounded unreasonable, until they took in account the fact that Sidon was a little aggressive sometimes. He could only stand so much slander before he snapped, and as much as Link loved watching nobles burn, he didn’t want a war as a side effect for his amusement.

“As much as we talked about having something elaborate, I would be content with something small.”

Link squinted at him and scrunched his nose. _He_ was the one who wanted a small ceremony, _Sidon_ was the one who wanted something absolutely large and ridiculous. They had spent a solid evening arguing about it one time, and not _once_ did Link consent to having something elaborate.

“…Are we going to have this argument again?” Sidon deadpanned. “Here I am, trying to cheer you up, and you’re off thinking about our past quarrels.”

Link snickered and rolled his eyes. He tried not to think about Mipha’s corruption or Zelda’s knowledge on the Transistor while Sidon chattered excitedly about the ceremony.

He wanted to be happy. Link _desperately_ wanted to be happy, but it was so hard to ignore his pain and grief when it was lying across his lap.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shoutout for my lovely gluten-free who let me borrow her wonderfully horrible OC, Conium. Good god, Kat, stop encouraging me. Her tumblr is here: http://ciraeus.tumblr.com/ 
> 
> I'm gonna get my five lizards, Kat, and you can't fucking stop me.


	5. Signals

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, a sex scene.

He had heard that sorrows were halved and joys were doubled when you found the right person. His back pressed against the cool marble, his face hot in his hands. The cool mist stuck to his clothes, the cold seeping into his bones and soul. He was alone as he openly sobbed.

Sidon’s remains had been buried today. Link didn’t see the body arrive, but from what he had heard, it was in perfect condition. It was unnatural, much like the sword Sidon’s soul was housed in, or whatever had corrupted Mipha.

King Dorephan was the ever stoic pillar, yet Link knew the King was breaking, if not already broken. Two heirs—two children—were taken from him. To outlive your children was an unspeakable tragedy. Sidon might still exist, but oh what a pitiful state he was trapped in. And Mipha—he didn’t want to think about Mipha.

He tilted his head back against the engraved marble. His fingers trembled as they skimmed across the white slab under him. Link had overheard a few of the elders speaking about Sidon’s tomb.

“His Highness requested that if something were to happen to his fiancé, Link will be buried with him.”

There was no malice in those words. If anything, he heard sorrow. To think it would the events of the Solstice and Mipha’s death for them to tolerate him. His hand squeezed into a fist. He had almost wished for the mild disdain they had always shown him. Things would have at least felt normal.

“…My Champion,”

Link wearily acknowledged the black Zora standing before him. He was the same Zora that carried Sidon around all the time, and most likely was here _because_ of Sidon. Link hadn’t really come back after the burial—and he did promise that he wouldn’t be too long. Though, that must have been hours ago.

“…The Prince is worried about you, my Champion.” The entire right-side of the Zora’s face had been clawed clean off. Faron was one of the handful of Zoras who had survived Mipha’s attack, and he was one of the lucky ones. “Do not make him worry any more then he needs to,” He folded his arms over his chest. “…He has been hurt enough.”

Link felt his knees creak as he stood up. He had spent enough time sulking and crying. It was selfish of him to want to grieve longer, especially when Sidon had clearly suffered more than him.

The Zora’s Domain was rebuilding itself when they returned. Almost all signs of Mipha’s destruction had been erased, save for her claw marks in the stone. He would have attended each of the ceremonies held for the fallen Zora—Sidon had with the help of Faron—but Link was forcibly confined to the bed. He was too weak and frail to even walk for about a week. He wanted to do something, although losing a large portion of his blood severely limited what he could do. He took solace in the fact when he recovered enough, he would return to Hyrule’s Capital and demand answers. He would fix this—he had to. If he was to be the Zoras’ future ruler, then he needed to start strong. Link could not bring back the souls that were lost, but by all the stars in heaven was he going to give them the justice the deserved.

The sword was tied to Mipha’s corruption. He knew it—he just knew it to be so. Things truly started going south when it appeared in his life. And if Zelda knew about the sword and purposely hid it from him, it all the more further acknowledged the connection.

“You must be excited,” Faron rumbled nonchalantly. “Your union with the Prince is much talked about among our people.”

He was ashamed, for he should have felt happier about their upcoming marriage. How often did he and Sidon talk about it? How many nights did they lie together dreaming, planning, their ceremony and life afterwards? Now their union felt like ash in his mouth, a bitter, stinging, reminder of what they could not have.  They were forced to settle for less when they deserved so much more.

Sidon was propped up against the bed when Link returned. Upon spotting the Champion, the sword vividly flickered. “Ah! You are back! I was getting worried that you fell asleep somewhere.”

Link stooped over to pick up the sword, smooshing his face against the eye-like gem.

“Be careful,” Sidon’s voice was low murmur. “I don’t want you to strain yourself—and when was the last time you ate? Oh, don’t you dare tell me it was last night.”

He shrugged against the blade. It was true that Link had skipped a few meals, but it’s not like he could vocally express that to Sidon. Guess Sidon didn’t have to worry about being told the truth.

“You are absolutely insufferable.” He chided. “Faron, I hope you don’t mind fetching my fiancé something from the kitchen.”

“Aye, Your Highness.”

Link felt his ears grow hot. He hadn’t realized that Faron had followed him into the room, and he had seen Link pick up Sidon, and—oooh this was embarrassing.

“Is something the matter? Link, you’re turning so red—is your fever coming back?” But of course Sidon had to notice his blush. He was thankful the gem was cold against his burning cheek. Link shook his head and carried the sword into bed. Maybe if he feigned sleep by the time Faron came back, he wouldn’t be so flustered.

“…You know, Link, I’m…happy that we are getting married.”

He held the sword loosely in his arms, watching the swirling the designs from under his hooded eyes.

There was a catch in Sidon’s voice. “I…I know the circumstances we are being unified under are not the best. Yet, yet I am elated to know that in a few days, I will have the privilege of calling you my husband.” Sidon was quiet a few moments before asking, “…Link, I want you to kiss me.”

He hated that their kisses were tasting more and more like salt.

 

* * *

 

ACCESS GRANTED…UPLOADING DATA BASE…PLEASE MAKE A SELECTION…PROCESSING…PROCESSING…THE SUBJECT“SIDON” HAS BEEN FOUND. PLEASE MAKE A SELECTION…MEMORY LIBRARY ACCESSED. PLEASE SELECT A FILE…YOU CHOSE FILE: XXXXXX…NOW DOWNLOADING MEMORY SEQUENCE…BEGINNING PLAYBACK.

They were alone. It had only taken a good portion of the evening to get out of the accursed party and be together. If only he hadn’t been Prince, then maybe he could have slipped out unnoticed. That, and maybe if he were a little shorter. And perhaps a more muted color? It was so easy to spot him or his sister from a distance because of their coloration.

But none of that mattered right now. He and Link were alone together now, and that, that was what truly mattered.

“Was this the first party you ditched?” Link’s voice was hot and hushed before Sidon dived into him again for another kiss. He had the Champion pressed against the wall, the both of them hidden in the safety of Sidon’s room.

Sidon admittedly was slow to respond to the question. His mind was too busy processing all the sounds and smells his Champion was making. Honest to goddesses, he wanted Link to pull him under and fog his senses with pleasure. “Yes.” He huffed between kisses. “Yes it is.”

“Heh, look at you being a rebel.” Link’s fingers intertwined with the filigree of Sidon’s collar. “…Like it when you’re being confident like this.”

Truthfully, Sidon was actually a ball of twitching nerves. He had never skipped out on an event before, let alone for the sole purpose of making love. All of…whatever he was doing to the Champion, was false confidence, coupled with his primal need to propagate.  He didn’t know if he could actually keep that façade up when it came to intercourse.

He felt Link’s hand rub the curve of his jaw slowly. It was strange, having someone being this incredibly gentle to him. Sidon’s eyes closed and he leaned into the touch. There was a shift in the mood as Link delicately placed kisses along his neck and jaw. That heat of pleasure and confidence seemed to ebb away with each kiss. This wasn’t about them having sex, this was about them being one.

Sidon’s knees buckled ever so slightly at the thought of their unity. No more walls, no more boundaries.             

“…You alright? You’re shaking a little.”

He laughed lightly. “It’s nothing, Link, I assure you—“

“Sidon,” Link said sternly. “If you aren’t ready for this, then we don’t have to.” He thumbed Sidon’s cheek. “I won’t be mad or disappointed if we don’t, you know that, right?”

He bashfully looked away, “I-I’ve never done this before—so I’m a little nervous, that’s all.”

The Champion chuckled and pressed their cheeks together. “…It’ll be alright, Sidon.” His voice softened. “I promise, this will feel _good_.”

Well, Link never broke a promise with him. Sidon’s shoulders relaxed, letting them droop comfortably.

“We should freshen up a bit.” Link kissed his chin. “You’ll feel better.”

“…Right.” That made sense. He probably shouldn’t be engaging in such an intimate activity with all of his ornamentation still on. That might make things a little uncomfortable. As he knelt to set his lover down, Link kissed him deeply. Sidon wobbled, his head spinning from the sensation of their tongues meeting.

He was a little reluctant to let Link part from him, tugging the Champion closer when he felt him pull away.

“Aren’t you being greedy.” Link playfully pushed his Sidon’s face back. “Save some for later, alright?”

The Prince sputtered loudly and promptly covered his face. He was doing everything wrong, why on earth did Link want to do this with him, when there were others who were so much better?

“I’m gonna go change, I’ll be right back.”

—Right, right, Sidon needed to get cleaned up as well. Link was gone by the time he peeked out from between his fingers. He took a deep breath as he rose to his feet. His hands were shaking as he picked off his jewelry and other embellishments.

 _I shouldn’t worry about this_. Sidon dipped into the adjoining bathroom to wipe himself down. _I know this is my first coupling, but this isn’t about breeding or simply the act of intercourse._ He splashed his face with water, massaging the cool liquid into his skin. He looked up from the basin to gaze into the mirror. Sidon was surprised to see how flushed he looked. Slightly embarrassed by the reflection, he glanced at his hands, which grasped the rim of the dark blue basin. _Maybe I’m not worried at all. Maybe, what I’m feeling is happiness._ Sidon smiled to himself before reaching for a cloth to rub down his skin. _It’s okay to be a little nervous about this. Well, I think so._ His grin broadened as he wiped his shoulders. _We could have the worst coupling ever, but he’ll still love me._

Sidon paused for a moment to let that thought sink in. _He loves me._ He laughed to himself, setting the cloth on the basin. _He loves me. He loves me._ _Goddesses, do I love him._

When he returned to his chambers, he found Link sitting on the bed. The Champion was only wearing a large shirt…and not much else. His breath hitched at the sight of him.

Link patted the spot next to him, and Sidon sheepishly crawled onto the bed. The two of them laid there for a few moments. Link lazily traced the scars on Sidon’s chest, humming under his breath. He didn’t know how long they were like this, relishing each other’s presence, when he felt Link crawl onto his chest.

The first kiss was hot and deep. Link _rocked_ against him while they kissed, his hands kneading the back of Sidon’s head. 

“Sidon,” Link slowly broke the kiss. “Do you want this?”

“…Yes.” His voice was breathy, needy. “Yes, I want this, I want this.”

He had never been this close to anyone before. Sidon had never dreamed in all his years that his first coupling would be with a human, let alone the Hero of Legend.

Link was gentle. His lover spent a considerable amount of time stroking his slit, before coaxing Sidon’s length out. Sidon’s eyes rolled to the back of his head while Link massaged the base of his length.

“Link,” He quavered. “Please, please, I need you.”

His Champion chuckled, ghosting his hand over Sidon’s tip, and thumbing it playfully.

 _“I love you, Sidon.”_ Link slid up on his lap, pressing Sidon’s length between them.

The Prince moaned loudly, and found himself grasping at Link’s legs to hold him closer. Sidon felt a small knot of heat nestle into the base of his shaft, and quickly realized it was his lover’s length. Link spent a few moments adjusting himself, moaning ever so softly as he shifted his hips.

The Champion slowly began pumping his hips into Sidon. The first few moments were awkward, as Link needed to further adjust himself to better his thrusts, but that changed quickly soon after. Sidon’s gills flared as smooth pulses of pleasure swept through his body. It felt as if a blanket was settling over his mind, burying his thoughts under a heat of passion and unity. Sidon arched at one point, causing wave of pleasure to engulf them both.

“I’m yours, Sidon.”  Link grinded against him.  “Only yours.” 

Through the haze of pleasure, Sidon managed to cup Link’s head. He watched his Champion stop his thrusting and lovingly nestle his face into Sidon’s hand.  Link curled his fingers into Sidon’s palm and completely leaned into his touch.

Their bodies felt so raw, bare, and vulnerable. In this heated glow of budding pleasure, Sidon knew he didn’t want this to end. He wailed when Link began again at a slower and deeper pace. Sidon wondered if anyone had heard him when his pleasure finally beaded out of him.

Things were a bit of a blur afterwards. He remembered Link getting up to clean them both, and that he weakly begged the Champion not to leave him. Sidon could most clearly recall Link eventually returning to him. His skin was warm, soft, and Link had a very pleasant scent of afterglow. Sidon knew he murmured his affections, but he was so drunk off their unity that he couldn’t remember anything he said. 

He heard Link’s laugh, and felt the soft impressions of their lips meeting.

Happiness, this is what happiness must have felt like.

 

END OF MEMORY PLAYBACK.  

* * *

 

 

“...I hope you aren’t disappointed in the color.”  The Dragonfish Zora patted Link’s shoulder. “White is not a positive color among the Zora, but gold is! You’ll shimmer like a sunfish—well, not quite as gaudy—but you know what I mean.”

Link offered a small smile and nodded. He reached out to touch the gilded tunic on the mannequin. It was a soft shade of yellow, and covered in thin, golden scales.

Nokken, who was the Zora attending him, beamed as Link inspected the tunic. “Each of the scales were hand painted.”

Link ghosted his hand over the bronze scales on the back. The scales were packed together to form the crest of the Zoras.

“…You know,” Nokken hummed. “Typically, when a Zora chooses a non-Zora for their partner, they would use some of their scales to weave into the ceremonial attire.” The pitch-black Zora frowned. “…His Highness couldn’t offer any scales for your garment, but we did.”

He lifted his gaze to the Zora, who was simply nodding his head. “ We _all_ did, every one of us that remains chipped in to help make your tunic. After all, this tunic will become your signature ornamentation.”

The weight of the Zoras would literally be on his shoulders. He hoped he wouldn’t let them down too much.

“C’mon, let’s go wash you down.”

Link was not to see Sidon the before the ceremony. Link was to be bathed and cleansed before being united to Sidon. The same went for his fiancé, though he was to be washed with different scents and methods.

Nokken spent the majority of the day grooming and scrubbing Link. There were times when Link was sit alone in a shallow, scented pool for a few hours, before Nokken came by and scrubbed his skin with a soft sponge.

All this pampering was to wash away any fears or doubts about the union. The cleansing also meant that Link would be entering the union with a clean slate, after all Zoras believed that their unions were a second rebirth after coming of age.

By the time the cleansing ceremonies were over, Link marveled at the smoothness of his skin. Even his chapped hands were soft and smelled patchouli. He probably spent a good portion of the night smelling his hands and having anxiety over his union with Sidon.  Link wasn’t sure if what he was feeling was anxiety or excitement, but it probably was both in all fairness.

The thought of being married felt funny to Link. It’s not that he never thought about it, but marrying the Prince of the Zoras wasn’t something he ever considered—not for a long time, at least. He tossed restlessly in his bed. He wished he could have been a bit more excited about it. Some part of him wondered if Sidon brought this on out of fear, seeing how unpredictable the world was as of late. Or maybe, Sidon felt like he had nothing to lose now. They had been held back by so much before, guess all that nonsense didn’t matter to Sidon now. If that was the case, Link was glad they were finally getting unified. He hated how rules and decorum made Sidon so nervous.

He was awoken early the next morning. Nokken busily preened Link a few times before helping him into the ceremonial attire. Link was to wear a dark sepia toned shirt under the golden tunic to prevent chaffing from the scales woven into the fabric. He worried briefly that the under shirt’s long sleeves would make him suffocate in the hot, summer weather, but he found that the fabric was oddly cool. At the ends of each sleeve was a simple gold ring, which Link was to slip onto each of his middle fingers.

Nokken then aided Link into putting on the tunic. It jingled slightly as it slid over his frame, molding comfortably to each curve and angle of his body. The garment sat snuggly against his body, and was strangely comforting to wear. He felt himself relax as he pulled on a matching pair of sepia leggings.

“Our blessings were interwoven with the scales.”Nokken added as he fussed over Link’s clothes. “As long as you wear it, you should be immune to whatever it is that corrupted Mipha. It has ours, as well as our ancestors’ prayers, in each scale.” He curled back his lips to reveal a set of needle-like teeth. “Not even the _gods_ would dare harm you while wearing this.”

Link stood there for a moment. He looked away from Nokken as he sniffed loudly.

“Oh, My Champion! Please don’t cry!” The Zora clutched Link’s hands, his head tail wagging. “Today is a happy day! Oh, oh, please don’t cry.”

Link smiled through the tears before Nokken hurried dabbed them off with a cloth.

“You will be the best…erm…Prince King?” He wrinkled his nose, the biolights on his body flickering. “Or will you be just Prince—I’m not from these parts, I hope you forgive my lack of understanding.”

Link huffed a laugh and patted Nokken’s shoulder. The entire race of the Zoras supported this union, even under these abysmal circumstances. It was something Sidon had always wanted, and feared would never happen. The cards were against them, but at least there were a few good ones in the mix.

Once Nokken was certain that Link was soothed, and spent another half hour fussing over him, he agreed to give the word that the ceremony was ready to commence. The Zora, who really wasn’t that much taller than Link, guided him to the temple by his wrist. Link had expressed his confusion about his lack of footwear, but Nokken quickly explained that the ceremony would be better without shoes. Link probably wouldn’t have minded it as much if the floors of the temple weren’t so bitingly cold.

“Alright, Champion,” Nokken gave him a big, toothy grin. “You hang tight right here, okay? Someone will let you know when you need to go out.” The small Zora squeezed Link’s hand affectionately before darting off.

Link was alone for a few minutes. He idly wandered around the vacant room, noting the beautiful mosaics on the walls and floor. Link pressed his hand against the glass tiles embedded into the wall. He was to become a part of this legacy. He gently bumped his forehead against the glittering pieces. He hoped he wouldn’t let the rulers before him down.

“My Champion,” came the gravelly voice of Faron.

Link turned to see the large Zora saunter proudly into the room, cradling Sidon in his arms. He smiled as Faron knelt before him, offering him the sword to take. As Link gently took Sidon, Faron dipped his head.

“I will give you two sometime before I bring you to the altar.”

Link nodded, and the moment Faron’s back was turned, he lifted the sword up to his face, pressing his brow against the gem.

“Link, Link,” Sidon said with a hushed voice. “By the _goddesses_ , you look…you look…What I wouldn’t give to kiss you like this.” There was a drop of yearning in Sidon’s words. “To smell your scent, to feel your skin under my hands, what I wouldn’t do just to have those moments for a few meager seconds.”

Link hugged the blade tightly and hummed into the gem.

“…I knew gold would be a good color on you.” He purred warmly. “Though, we both know you look your best with _nothing_ on.”

Link rolled his eyes as the heat rushed to his cheeks. He gently traced, ‘I’m happy’, into the gem of the blade. Sidon chuckled softly as Link swayed slightly.

“I cannot wait to rule with you by my side. To wake with you as the first thing I see—every morning for the rest of our days,” He sighed happily. “Pure and utter _bliss_.”

The Champion had to agree with that, provided they both survived whatever else was outside the Domain. He gave a quick kiss to the blade upon spotting Faron return. The towering Zora bowed to the both of them, beckoning Link to follow.

“…Guess, guess it’s time for us to…” Sidon trailed off, his voice trembling slightly. “Is this happening? Is this really happening?”

Link rubbed the cross guard reassuringly. They followed Faron to a set of large, white doors. He turned to them, his good eye narrowed.

“Do you both agree to partake in the ceremony?”

“Yes,” Sidon spoke. “With my very _soul_ , I desire to be a part of this union.”

Link clasped his hand over his heart and nodded.

Faron smiled, “Mm, then let your unification begin.” He pushed the doors open and gestured for them to enter.

Link stepped into a massive chamber. Murals of colored glass and stone covered the high, domed ceiling. There were no walls, only arches that opened to cool lake of the Domain. In fact water flowed freely between the chamber and the lake, low waves lapping at the marbled columns.

Now he understood why Nokken said he didn’t need footwear. After Link descended the stairs leading into the chamber, water rose above his ankles once he stepped onto the floor. The sandy, yet smooth stone skimmed beneath his feet with each step.

Every Zora sat or stood before Link. They were dispersed like stars in the night sky, and each one bowed when he and Sidon passed. Link tried to catch each one’s gaze as gratitude for the scales that jingled in his tunic.  Sidon’s father and the remaining elders were clustered near the altar, and Link was genuinely surprised that they all bowed to him and Sidon. He didn’t linger too long on the gesture, not when the priest was patiently waiting for them.

The ceremony was long. Link could easily track the movement of the sun by using the shadows of the arches, and he knew several hours had passed since they had first arrived. His grip on the hilt repeatedly tightened and loosened during the course of the ceremony. Most of it was a lot of spiritual stuff that Link wasn’t horribly familiar on, and he felt partially bad for tuning it out occasionally.

There came the point in the ceremony where Sidon and Link would make their vows. Sidon really would be the only saying anything. Even if Link could talk, he was never good at making grand speeches or anything. He probably would have rambled nervously and made a huge fool of himself.

The sword flickered brightly, “You have _bewitched_ me, body and soul. For so long I have I have admired and loved you, and to at last speak this vow to you is a blessing to my heart. You are like _fire_ in my veins, warm, invigorating, pushing me to go beyond my limits.” Sidon sighed happily. “If you wanted me to give up a single one of my scales, I would have. If you asked for the very last drop pf my blood, I would have relinquished it to you. My _beacon_ in the dark night, how I love you so.”

Link hiccupped a few tears. As if he could top a vow like that. He lifted the sword into his arms during his portion of the vows. Shakily, he traced, _‘We will never be apart, Sidon. For as long as I have air in my lungs, I will never leave your side.’_

Tears splashed onto the eye of the sword as the priest proclaimed their unity. Link sank to the foot of the altar, his face buried against the gem. Together, at last they were—

“My Champion,” The old priest creaked. “The ceremony is not yet over, my child.” He chortled a little. “No need to stand, I only ask that you kneel. You may lean your husband against the altar.”

Link cleared his throat loudly and quickly knelt before the priest, shooting a glare at his snickering husband.

“Originally, we were going to give you a proper coronation, but those last several days—and you are a very busy man.” The priest balanced a simple, golden circlet on his fingers. Wrapping around the entirety of the circlet, was a band of pearl grey inlay with black veins slivering throughout.  “The King has agreed to post pone the coronation festivities and celebrate them when you return.” The priest settled the circlet a top Link’s head. “Link, Champion of Hyrule, I now bestow the title of _Prince_ _of the Zoras_ upon you.”

He beckoned for Link to stand. “This circlet displays the craft of our people and your rank as Prince. To any that raise their blade against you, they raise their blade against every Zora. We are your scales, but you are our teeth.” The priest bowed. “Lead us to fresh water, _Prince_ Link, and we will follow.”

Link gazed out at the Zora kneeling or bowing before him. His knuckles whitened on the sword’s cross guard. They had always been his people, but now he stood among them as their Prince and future ruler. His heart swelled with pride at the thought of co-ruling the Zora with Sidon. Once he got to the bottom of Mipha’s corruption and the sword at his side, he and Sidon would return to begin their lives as Kings.

But at the moment, Link was content to simply live in the present. He hefted Sidon up into his arms and eagerly kissed the gem.

“L-link, please! N-not in front of father…” Sidon chittered sheepishly.

Sidon’s protests only served to edge Link on, causing the Champion to smirk into the heated kisses. They would return to the Capital of Hyrule tomorrow.

Tonight was _theirs_.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen, I love that y'all are all about Sidon being on top, but please consider *bottom* Sidon, okay. Let him be boned. 
> 
> Where have I been? A paper, we'll leave it at that.
> 
> Anyway, Nokken is the amazing Quinncy's oc. Nokk is my adopted son, and you can see what he looks like right here! http://quinncy.tumblr.com/post/159809316511  
> Also if you aren't following Quinn what are you doing.
> 
> Oh, and if you wanna come bother me on tumblr, here I am: http://the-argosy.tumblr.com/


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